DeSantis' Culture War Policies Exposed as Mere Political Stunts

Photo byMatt Johnson

People who go to court would want to win a lawsuit. This, however, is not how the critics of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis see his legal record.

“Most people who go to court actually want to win,’’ said Bob Jarvis, a professor of law at Nova Southeastern University. “That is not DeSantis’ objective. He is all about winning the news cycle.”

The Spin Master

DeSantis' detractors say the governor's win-loss record is meaningless to him. They believe that as he prepares to run for the presidency in 2024, his plan is one designed to grab attention and use the state purse to promote performative policies meant to appeal to supporters of the Republican base.

But for DeSantis' supporters, the governor's propensity for getting involved in disputes that are bound for court shows a readiness to question institutions at a time when the public is irate and distrustful of both the government and corporations.

They cite his 19-point victory over Democratic challenger Charlie Crist in his reelection campaign, recent national surveys that show him winning over former President Donald Trump in a 2024 GOP primary, and efforts by other Republican-led states to implement similar policies as proof that he has effectively capitalized on the current polarizing cultural climate.

“We fight the woke in the Legislature,” DeSantis said in his election night victory speech. “We fight the woke in the schools. We fight the woke in the corporations. We will never, ever surrender to the woke mob. Florida is where woke goes to die.”

DeSantis’ political strategy is compared to that of Trump.

“As with Trump, DeSantis’s political aggressiveness wins him admirers,’’ wrote Madeleine Kearns, staff writer of conservative editorial magazine National Review. “The tactics that some conservatives consider morally or philosophically dubious appear only to intensify his popularity.”

What do you think about DeSantis performative policies?

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